Twisted Sunshine
by The Cannibal Sammich
Summary: The story of a simple Mercenary attempting to avenge her partner's death during a routine job, and the terrorist cell who took that life. There will be blood, love, lust, and plot twists for everyone. At the moment, I'm focusing mostly on the terrorist cell, but it will be drawn together soon. Pinky swear.
1. Introduction

Out in the deserts of Nyx, a small convoy rolled through, stirring a cloud of the sands as they passed over it at a slow pace. The convoy consisted of a single Gustav, with a single trailer, with a single crate of cargo, and a pair of Blade Ligers taking the positions of point and guard.

"Twenty kilometers to drop zone."

Rachael sighed and relaxed a bit. "It's about damn time," she muttered while stifling a yawn. The pair had been escorting this Gustav for hours, so news that it would end and they could finally get paid was appreciated. She needed a hot shower and a nap and neither was available inside of the cockpit of her Blade Liger.

"Hey Rachael, after this mission, want to grab some dinner? Maybe some wine and a trip to the hot-tub?"

Rachael groaned and hit the button to activate the mics around her. "Brandon, would you keep your head in the game? And I've told you, countless times before, I'm not interested in being wined and dined, or you for that matter."

"Oh don't be so cold, baby," he pleaded through the speakers around her. She slammed the mute button with her fist to silence his annoyances.

"Seventeen kilo's to the drop point, you could at least keep them peaceful," she muttered.

Suddenly the Gustav's pilot cut through the line. "Abnormal heat signatures detected four kilometers east. One of you check it out."

Rachael rolled her eyes at his [I]order[/I] and unmuted the communication lines to her ally. "Rock, paper, scissors on the video screen or are you going to be a gentleman?"

"I'm always a gentleman," he said in mock hurt. "I'll check it out. Be right back dear, don't miss me too much."

"How can I miss you when you won't shut the hell up?" she asked before closing the communication line to Brandon again and opening one to the contractor. "We're stopping while he's gone. Standard procedure, we don't move while split up."

"Whatever, but if he's not back within five, we're leaving without him." The man sounded incredibly irate.

"If he's not back in five, you'll sit there and wait. You're not in the position to give orders, snail." The man cursed on the other side of the line and closed it with a grumble. "I'm so sick of these jobs… I'm taking a vacation after this one. Bartend or something." She grabbed a small canteen and took a swig of water, waiting for Brandon to check in. He'd had time to travel the four kilos and was likely checking the area right now.

"Honey, we may have a problem." Ignoring the name, she ushered him to go on. "I have no visuals at all, not even light warping, but it's sweltering over here. Temp. readings are out the roof. It's like the sun is focusing it's light right on this spot-" he trailed off letting his sentence hang in the air. "One moment. I may have just found that visual."

A drum of fear hit her. "Brandon, proceed with caution. The Gustav is the prime objective right now."

"I'll just be a minute, babe. Looks like it was just a trick of the heat-" His sentence cut off with a crackle. Another surge of fear hit her. It wasn't so much his sentence cutting off that worried her the most though. What caused the most panic was the heat. There was a sudden surge right as he cut off that she could feel in her cockpit four kilometers away.

"Brandon?" She waited for a full ten seconds with no answer. "Brandon, do you read me?" Twenty seconds. "I swear to God, Brandon, if you're joking, I'll kill you when you get back, I swear I will." Thirty seconds, no response.

Then three things seemed to happen at once. Number one, a zoid suddenly became visible, what appeared to be some time of Liger unit, one she'd never seen before. Two, a heat wave hit her that one could only find inside of a microwave. And third, the gustav, it's cargo, and the rear half of her Blade Liger ceased to exist in a mixture of an explosion and melting.

Rachael nearly lost consciousness from the heat, orbs of color spiking her vision. Her Blade Liger collapsed to the sands on which it stood, jarring her even in her harness. As the orbs of color in her vision began to turn black and bleed, mixing with reality and pooling around her vision, she took her last glimpse of the world. All she could see were the smoking remains of the Gustav and the Liger disappearing as it strode away through the sands.

[I]Brandon…..[/I]


	2. Chapter One: Setting the Foundation

-1A/N: Thanks for the views and reviews. To be honest, it's more than what I was expecting. I'm sorry it took so long… I'm just a very forgetful person - also, lack of inspiration and sudden business and such. I don't own Zoids. However, I do own these characters, this plot, and the custom Zoids used - the exception being when I use someone else's with their permission.

Not much else to talk about. This is probably a bit longer than the rest of the chapters will be, I think. I'll try to get out more chapters soon, now that I've remembered that this thing even exists. I'm also trying out a new style of writing, so we'll see how that turned out. Now then, enjoy, hate, wank to it, I don't care, but please leave a review. I can't improve if you don't point out my mistakes.

One last thing. Anyone who wants to Beta - or doesn't mind Beta-ing - this story, PM me and I'll see what we can do. If not, it'll continue to be self-beta'd.

Chapter One: Setting the Foundation

A steady click could be heard passing through the halls of a not-so-crowded Whale King as single soldier made their way through the massive Zoid - they marched with purpose, their combat boots slapping quickly against the ground at a pace that threatened to break into a run at any moment. Anyone who got in their way was shoved aside roughly, resulting in an angered cry that quickly cut off as their eyes took in the mass of medals, pins, stripes, and other decorations that adorned their aggressor's outfit.

The soldier's mutterings could easily be heard even from behind their helmet; they were angry, full of obscenities and insults - they obviously weren't happy.

Finally the soldier rounded the corner to the bridge, their pace increasing as hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. There was a hiss of air as the automatic door slid open followed by several grunts and a few questioning shouts. A pair of guards approached the soldier.

"Who do you think you are, barging in like this? There's an important meet-" the guard was silenced as the livid soldier's helmet collided with their skull, sending them onto their backside in a moment of dizzying pain, hands quickly moving to the blood leaking from the wound.

The second guard gave a shout of surprise then charged, arm extending in a punch. The soldier sidestepped the blow effortlessly, hands grasping points at the wrist and the shoulder. In a blur of motion, the guard was suddenly on their back, breath missing from the force of the flip.

Finally, the soldier growled in anger, amber locks of hair falling in their face. A finger jabbed out menacingly as she stepped past the fallen guards - who, coincidentally had just realized their mistake.

"Do any of you want to explain why I just saw my brother stumble out of the cockpit of that damned beast of yours?"

There was nothing but silence for minutes. Finally, one of the men stood. "Ms. Arrington, if you'll just calm down a moment… There's a simple explanation for this."

Rose couldn't help but laugh once - a bit too loudly to be anything but furious. "By 'this', do you mean completely disregarding not only my wishes but our agreement as well? I told you that he wasn't to be involved in any of this. I told you not to touch him. I told you not to even _speak_ to him. Yet there he was, collapsing from stress and exhaustion… So tell me, Jack, is _that_ what you meant by 'this'?"

The man cleared his throat uneasily, clearly trying to choose his words before he spoke them. "You see… your brother calls to the beast… he's the only one that it will let near its controls."

The girl opened her mouth to yell a response but the scientist cut her off. "Sometimes the good of the many outweighs the good of the one. You of all people should know this, Ms. Arrington. After all, the only reason you're still standing is because your father was selfless enough to…" The man quickly cut his speech as a glare bore into his eyes.

"Don't you dare speak of my father, you worm," she snarled in anger.

The scientist opened his mouth to respond then seemed to think better of it, instead simply resuming his seat and averting his eyes to the table in front of him. Rosalie's glare moved to each of the men in the room, most of them suddenly busy with the papers in front of them. "Let me make one thing absolutely clear. If I see any of you so much as glance in his direction, I'll personally see you thrown from this ship mid-flight. Understood?"

A chorus of understanding grunts came from the room, accompanied by a few sheepish nods.

Without another word, the girl turned and left the room, heels clicking loudly as they departed down the hall. "She can be damned scary," one of the men muttered quietly.

The one who'd had the majority of the yelling directed at him nodded in agreement. "I hate working for her…"

* * *

><p>"Everything's alright," a soft feminine voice cooed from inside the large private quarters of that belonged to the members of the Arrington line. Rose rocked her little brother softly, kissing his forehead every few rocks, repeating the soft words of reassurance. "It was only a dream," she lied.<p>

The boy in her arms shook as his sobs slowly transformed into soundless whimpers. "Those… those people…"

"Only a dream," she lied again. Murder could ruin even the strongest man - what it could do to an innocent twelve year old was another thing altogether. "You didn't hurt anyone," she assured the quivering figure in her arms.

Silently, Rose promised herself that she'd have the head of the man responsible for the trauma caused to her baby brother. He was only twelve years old, yet those damned men had the gall to let him - no, encourage him to pilot that monstrosity of theirs… that cruel, twisted creature.

To think that her father had a hand in that beast's creation… the heir could barely comprehend that the kind, caring man that she'd known her entire life was even partially responsible for that creature's existence - and therefore partially responsible for the pain that his son was going through right now. The suffering that no man deserved to know. The horrid knowledge that you were responsible for ending the life of someone innocent. Her brother was young; he was also mature enough to understand what he had done, whether he had meant to do such a thing or not.

"Sleep now, Jonathan," she said softly as she slowly laid his now still form against the sheets beneath them, gently pulling the rest of the bedding over his head. After leaning down to kiss his cheek Rose quietly left the room - she had to shut the door manually as the hissing air of the automatic door would've risked disturbing her sleeping brother.

Outside of the room, the youngest daughter of the Arrington line allowed herself a private moment, not fighting the tears that silently cascaded down her cheeks. Instead, she comforted herself, arms wrapping around herself in a hug.

To her soldiers, Rosalie displayed only a hard-edged commander, a strong leader - she had to hold her troops together for her father's sake. To her younger brother, Rosalie displayed a strong, caring sister, a loving motherly figure - she had to keep Jonathan happy and safe. On her own, though, Rosalie let down all of her walls, loosened the armor that she worked so hard to keep up.

She missed her mother. She missed her father. She missed her older brother and sister. Most of all, though, the girl missed being a kid. Forced to grow up at the tender age of thirteen, she'd missed everything a kid looked forward to - her sweet sixteen even. It was such a trivial thing, she knew, but no matter how much it was thrown to the back of her mind, her uncelebrated sixteenth birthday hung over her head like a cloud that threatened to poor out four years worth of rain.

Rose buried her face in her arms and for the first time since she had watched her parents lowered into the cold, wet ground...

She wept.

* * *

><p>"This is Crooked Queen requesting a status report, over."<p>

After a bit of silence and a few strikes of static, a deep male voice came through the communication lines. "Crooked Queen, this is Saint Cross reporting in. We've found one of the Blade Ligers. Scorched earth… slagged bits of armor… Definitely the work of the Sol Dios. We should be coming up on the next site in a few moments, over."

Rose simply nodded, her hand balled in a fist at her side. The work of the Sol Dios… the work of her brother. _No. _A violent growl emerged as the thought was forced from her mind, a few of the workers backing away from the seventeen-year-old commander - they knew to avoid her when she was in one of her moods.

Today? She was in one of those moods.

The only reason that none of her crew had gone skydiving without a parachute was three rooms over in the gym - Rosalie had settled for kicking the crap out of the three who had been unfortunate enough to be on fight duty today. Their wounds would heal and they would have another month or so before they had to endure such torture again. Unless, of course, she suddenly had the desire to go for round eleven.

"Crooked Queen, this is Saint Cross reporting in again. We're at the next site. There's nothing left of the Gustav or its cargo. The other Blade Liger's missing its rear half, but the cockpit's still intact. The core though… there's nothing left. This Zoid is dea-"

"_The cockpit's still intact."_

"Alexander, check out the controls now! If the pilot is still there, check for vitals! Do CPR if you have to!"

Rose didn't even realize that she'd cut procedure and ignored her soldier's codename, not to mention breaking the all important "over" rule; it didn't matter. There was a chance that her brother was less of a murderer, less of a criminal, less of everything she'd tried to keep him from becoming.

Less of herself.

There was a confused noise from the communication lines, but a "yes ma'am" soon enough passed through the speakers and into the girl's ears. She had to know; she had to know _now_. She had to know to what degree she had failed in her promise to her older brother.

"Ma'am, the cockpit's empty."

Rose's heart sank.

"Is there… any chance that the Zoid was a sleeper?"

The reply was exactly what she had expected. Negative. No evidence that the Zoid was being controlled by an outside source neither was there the equipment to do so onboard to do so. Alex also explained that if the pilot had fled their cockpit they were surely dead by now - the desert heat was unforgiving.

"Understood." She had to be strong. "Saint Cross, return to base with the rest of the Nogitsuna."

"Yes ma'am."

Rosalie turned then and began to walk away. There was nothing else here that she needed to hear.

"Crooked Queen, this is Saint Cross again…"

With a pull of her facial muscles, Captain Arrington arched an eyebrow as she turned back to face the communications center.

"I believe we've found the cargo, or part of it at least - it's a small black square. Maybe… three meter sides? Should we bring it back to base?"

There was a moment of silence.

"…Copy. Return to base with the cargo; we'll have the engineers examine it upon return."

"Yes ma'am."

It was probably a civilian Gustav, so the cargo was likely something unimportant and irrelevant to the current situation, but she had to follow all leads. Even if it turned out to be a bust, they would acquire something. Perhaps a part, perhaps supplies, it didn't matter - it would soon be there's.

Just like the world.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you can't open it?"<p>

A furious looking Rose growled and slammed a fist against the large black box then shook it. It was made of metal - what type, she wasn't sure, but it was metal nonetheless. Yet they couldn't pierce it. They hadn't even been able to scratch it.

"I want that thing open, now!" It wasn't so much an order as it was a threat.

Alexander Cross shrugged down slightly but never broke eye contact, the sign of true respect and admiration. On the other hand, perhaps fear that if he looked away her hand would come crashing across his face; it didn't matter. "Ma'am, we've tried everything… we even tried using the lance. It barely made a mark."

That was surprising. Rosalie had never met something that her lance couldn't punch through, and that included the multi-ton war mechs that people used as toys. "So… there's no way to get it open?"

The subordinate stood straight then, perking up a bit. "That's what I was getting to. There is a keypad that we believe will open it when the correct five digit code is entered. The only problem is that the keys are in an unknown language. Furthermore, after an incorrect try, the thing locks itself up for what seems to be roughly fifteen minutes, but it varies. We'll get it open eventually, but it'll take a while."

The commander nodded slowly, doing the math mentally. They had ninety-six tries a day. They could crack it in a matter of days, hopefully. "How many keys are there?" Rose figured that there would be about thirty to forty. So doing the math…

"Eight hundred and forty-six."

She blinked.

Blinked again.

"You… you're kidding, right?" The man simply shook his head. "That means…"

"Yes. It could take a very… very long time to open it. I won't give you the actual numbers… but it's not pretty. On the bright side, a character can't be used twice," he attempted to end on a bright note.

Rosalie shook her head. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. "Understood. Keep at it and let me know if anything changes." The Major nodded before bowing and turning to go back to work.

The Arrington heir shook her head and turned away, putting that entire mess behind her. She didn't even want to think about it; she didn't need another thing to stress over. If something changed, word would get to her. If it didn't… well, nothing changed. At all. The plan would keep marching forward.

The Arrington name would soon be known to every man, woman, and child on the planet of Zi. It would be known as a family of rulers - a family of royalty.

A family of gods.

A/N: And that's the end of the first real chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. It would've been up sooner but my internet was busy dying in a fire. It did, however, let me get some work done on the next chapter. So now, I have a few more things to work over. When I first made this RP, I was interested in romance style writing. This will _not_ be a romance work. There will be a bit of romance in it, but it won't be what the story is based around. The suspense can stay, but I'd throw up perhaps adventure in the place of romance. Regardless of that, enjoy and smile at the fact that this was very calm.

In the next few chapters, things will get dirty, bloody, perhaps even a bit insane - not because I myself am actually insane or anything… no, not because of that at all. I have my perfect mental health. Probably. But I'm getting off track again. Read, review, enjoy - or don't, because that's what opinions are for.

Oh, before I forget. If anyone who isn't Zephyr (Delkion) can guess what the lance is/what it mounts to, you get a cookie.

I'll seeya next time.


	3. Chapter Two: Of War and Peace

A/N: Thanks again for the views and reviews. I'd like to give a quick thanks to Zephyr - Delkion - for letting me use his Spirit Fox and Fire Fox. I'd also like to thank him for the name of their trio, the Nogitsune. I'd also like to give a shout out to cotton candy, for being so delicious. I don't own Zoids yet, in case you were curious, but I'm working on it. World domination and such.

One last thing. Anyone who wants to Beta - or doesn't mind Beta-ing - this story, PM me and I'll see what we can do. If not, it'll continue to be self-beta'd. Now, read, and enjoy. Or skim and hate. Whatever. But please leave a review.

Chapter Two: Of War and Peace

"CPG fire inbound!"

The entire Whale King shook and rocked as the stream of charged particles slammed into it, melting away the first layer of armor - but only the first thanks to some extra protection that had been added, specifically to allow the behemoth to withstand multiple hits from a charged particle weapon. The top layer buffered the impact and the secondary layer absorbed and defused the heat. They would be fine.

"Nogitsune, prepare for immediate launch!"

The hanger was somehow the picture image of calm, three pilots casually strolling towards a trio of fox Zoids while mechanics bustled around doing various things. The only signs that something was amiss were the red lights flashing across the room and the annoyingly monotone alarm.

"We've detected seventy plus contacts. Will the Nogitsune be enough for that?"

There was a moment of silence before the commander of the ship sighed and shook her head. "No, I'll get ready to mobilize as well. Start running a system assessment while I suit up."

And with that, the girl simply turned and walked away, moving quickly to the hanger. Once there, she grabbed her contact suit and moved to the changing rooms, undressing and putting on the tight fitting material over her bare skin - her hair falling in amber cascades over her shoulders and back as her bare feet padded across the metal hanger floor.

"Commander, your Zoid is ready," one of the passing mechanics said gesturing to the hulking gargoyle in the center of the room. "Just get your contact suit calibrated and you'll be ready for deployment." Just then another wave of charged particles slammed into the transport, sending it rocking yet again before it steadied.

Rose nodded in thanks and hurried over to the Zoid, ignoring the stares of the men around her. She had been blessed with an attractive body and the glove of a suit she was wearing now wasn't helping to keep the males in her group focused.

Without hesitation, the Zoid lowered its clawed hand and gently lifted her master into the cockpit. Used to the empty space in which controls normally resided, Rosalie Arrington simply stood, stretching herself slightly. A video link opened with a few of the workers. "Ma'am, prepare for the calibration."

With a sigh her eyes pinched themselves shut. There was a quiet humming noise as several large plugs attached themselves to the suit which covered her, sharing date. They created the vital link between her mind and that of her Gale. She could feel the hate and desire flooding into her brain as the link was forming. There was a loud beep and the plugs retracted themselves into the walls around her.

It was at that moment that Rosalie Arrington and the Night Empress ceased to exist, instead becoming something more - something of mixed decent. Carrying both the nobility and power of the Arrington family and the power and awe inspiring blood lust that the Zoid held.

"Nogitsune, launch!"

The trio of foxes quickly tore down their launch rails, free falling for a moment before a system of boosters and parachutes guided them to the ground - they then detached, their purpose fulfilled.

"Crooked Queen, prepare for launch!"

The Night Empress slowly raised its head, eyes peeling themselves open. It was something of a spectacle to see. A paintjob consisting of a faded purple and a dull black, a massive lance adorning one arm while the other ended in a massive clawed hand - an odd vice like structure adorning the forearm there, similar to the one of the Lord Gale.

_"Night Queen, launching."_

The voice, no, voices- for it was the voice of Rose and the Night Empress who spook - resonated through the hanger, causing several of the workers to shudder. Without any more warning, the Zoid sped down the launch rails and was flung into the open air.

Rose tucked in on herself as they fell, taking a position similar to a nose dive as the distance between the ground and themselves quickly shrunk. Just meters before they hit the ground a pair of massive bat-like wings unfolded from the Zoid.

Dust kicked up in every direction as the wings beat down once, sending her forward. Boosters flared, and Night Queen smiled, a feeling of hunger coming over her. Nothing but low, low leveled prey… a shame. Somewhere in the corner of her vision, a trio of foxes were ripping through them, each one using a different method.

One was obliterating them with overwhelming firepower and speed, claws glowing red as they severed limbs. The Hell Fox. Another was deploying every measure of heat based weaponry ever thought up. The Fire Fox. The final one was a bit harder to spot, only becoming visible long enough to reduce a Zoid to rubble before it vanished into thin air, every noise it made came from somewhere else, sometimes every direction at once. The Spirit Fox.

Together they formed the Nogitsune.

But even they feared the beast screaming across the battlefield at just under mach speeds - and that was while she was holding her speed back.

The Night Queen cackled in joy as it suddenly came to a halt, the twelve meter long lance that formed its right hand spun to life and began to glow as energy flowed into it. The target was a poor little Garantula. The lance pierced easily through the spider, the tip just barely edging into the core.

The little creature made a pained noise and struggled, but it was to no avail. Even as an octet of energy machineguns hummed to life, the rear four meters of the lance plunged forward in a powerful show of hydraulics. The lance crashed through the core of the Zoid and into the sands below. With another loud laugh, Rose retrieved her right hand, examining the dark purple fluid that covered the pointed instrument.

Without another thought, the left talon of the Zoid stomped down on the cockpit of the spider; a red spray of life giving blood filled the air.

Insane laughter filled the airwaves as the Night Queen rose from the ground yet again, magnessor technology allowing for the easy flying. Rounds whizzed past her as she quickly made for the next target - meanwhile eight laser machineguns were making quick work of everything they touched, ravaging the cockpits that they aimed for. Already half of the enemies had been taken care of, one way or the other.

Their next toy was a Merda. The raptor thought that it moved quickly… it was slow in comparison. Rose shot her left hand in jabbing motion, the Crusher Claw sliding forward into position as four large blade-like-objects caught the Zoid's throat in a sort of double scissor like motion.

Wings beat powerfully and boosters flared as the pair of Zoids went skyward, lifting to about a hundred and fifty meters. Energy flooded into the blades as a system of hydraulics clamped them down tighter on the struggling raptor; that was all it took for the Hell Runner's head to come off cleanly, leaving the still twitching body to plummet the massive distance to the ground.

The screech of metal and cloud of sand was satisfying enough for the Queen; the head followed after it.

Below, a small group of command wolves was forming - three of them.

With a cry of hunger, Rose dive bombed the group, coming in fast. Laser Machineguns hummed as they began spewing rounds in every direction around the bloodthirsty mech. The right arm quickly shot forward, crashing through the skull of one of the Command Wolves, the hydraulic second impact pushing the lance into the Zoid far enough to pierce the core - the left arm wrapped around another Wolf's neck and launched it into the air.

Even as the lance was pulled out of the corpse of the Command Wolf, a flurry of ten, meter long lances shot out of the Queen's shoulders, rocket engines propelling them into and through the neck of the airborne Wolf - they formed a nice spiked collar around the dog.

With a screech of pure glee, the Night Queen tore away, a spray of high speed buckshot firing from the tip of the lance and crippling the knee of the last of the Wolves. There was a loud _whump_ as the airborne Command Wolf came crashing back to the sands. With a visible grin from the Night Empress and the human inside her, the spears that were embedded into the Zoid's neck erupted in an explosive fury - decapitating Zoids had never been so fun.

There was a choking whimper that came from the Command Wolf as it kicked. With another shriek of sadistic joy, all eight laser machineguns turned and aimed at the poor Wolf, spreading damage as much as they could to cause the maximum amount of pain possible - finally, though, they focused on a single spot as the Command Wolf quit its struggling, boring through the side of the Zoid and into the core before it shattered neatly.

One left…

Rose lifted her right arm again, another spray of buckshot tearing the beam cannons from the struggling Wolf's back. The Shotgun mounted inside the lance simply had a heyday, crippling the three remaining knees in a mere second before moving onto the head of the Zoid. The pilot was crushed and torn apart in a spray of crimson as the Anti-Zoid sized buckshot ripped through the cockpit glass.

The Command Wolf struggled to crawl away; it was of no use. It couldn't escape. The act of pain that was brought upon the poor Zoid was enough to make even the strongest of men shudder. Finally the wolf kicked its last and collapsed with a whimper of pain.

It was over.

Rose looked about, examining the torn bodies of targets - the not so decimated Zoids that the Nogitsune had taken care of included - and smiled.

_"So much fun."_

She was almost sad that it had to end…

Her eyes shifted from the torn corpses that littered the field to the small mounds of shifting sand around her, head cocked in confusion. The confusion ended as ten Guysacks dove from the sands and dashed at her.

Rose balled in on herself, wings folding in as well while the boosters moved to their bare minimum for propulsion - just enough to let it hover. A deep green orb was forming at the center of the Zoid, pulsing with energy as it grew. The scorpions realized their mistake and turned to run; it was too late. Arms, legs, even wings outstretched and the Night Queen let out a roar of pride. The green orb quickly expanded into a field that covered herself and the insects, melting the armor away from them and leaving nothing but the bare components of the Guysacks - the pilots were… less fortunate.

With a last shriek of power, the Night Empress collapsed to the sands beneath her; her armor was torn and pocked with holes.

And then Rose screamed.

The screaming lasted for an hour before it finally turned to inaudible whimpers.

The poor engineers that had been forced to pull their leader from the Night Empress were probably deaf. The sheer force of having your mind melded with that of a bloodthirsty monster was enough to drive anyone into a state of shock; Repeated uses…

"How's Lady Arrington?"

Alexander Cross could only sigh as he slipped a cotton shirt over his head. "She's calmed down now and resting." He paused before turning to the female engineer. "What… what is that thing doing to her?"

The woman sighed and adjusted her glasses. "It seems… the aftereffects of merging with the Night Empress are not very pleasant. Think about it - it wasn't just the Zoid down there repeatedly coring and making cockpit shots. The thing runs off the pleasure of causing other beings pain. When she's merged with it… so does Ms. Rose. I'm sure you can imagine the horror and anguish that she feels when she gets brought back to the surface."

There was a long moment of silence.

"What can we do for her?"

"Pray." Without another word, the engineer simply turned and strutted away - high heels clicking as she left - leaving Alex speechless. There was a short moment of stillness before a long sigh came from the soldier's mouth.

Feeling perhaps a bit silly, Alexander Cross - a man of no faith - knelt to the ground below him and clasped his hands. Slowly, he lowered his head and closed his eyes, his mouth opening and closing noiselessly.

There was a bright flash of light which caused the Major to glance up. His eyes got wide at what he saw.

"…I can't believe I actually got you to do that."

The engineer turned away, camera slung over her shoulder.

"Don't break faith so easily - even a lack of it. Stick to your guns, you poser."

There was silence. "She…" Alex stood and chased after her with a curse.

He needed that camera.

A/N: Yes, yes, I know. I'll be receiving massive amounts of complaints because four Zoids absolutely decimated over seventy others. But I must explain. The four pilots - the three Nogitsune and Rose… every one of them have been trained to the highest degree and possess massive amounts of skill. The Zoids they were piloting were all very, very high leveled - the Night Empress especially. And finally… the four of them were using a special system that melds the mind of the Zoid and the pilot, which allows for incredible reaction time and the ability to instantly share thoughts between the pair - they have _one_ mind. Also, the 70+ Zoids all sucked and were of the lowest two levels.

Anyways… please leave a review - which includes suggestions and questions. Also, if any of you are interested in joining a Zoids Role Playing website, please join [url=.com/Zoids_Wild_?act=idx]Zoids Wild Frontiers[/url] - at least take a look at it. If you have any questions about it, send me a PM on the site at the Username "Ian Nelson". Also, if you do decide to join, tell 'em Ian sent you. This is also where I'm getting my Zoid information from.

Finally, get ready for more plot in the next chapter or two. I'm trying to decide whether or not to do another mostly fluff chapter or move on. Feedback? Thanks. Until next time, guys and gals. 'specially the gals… 'cause you know I like it when you shaaaake it~


	4. Chapter Three: A Day to Recall

A/N: Well, this is what happens when I get distracted by things like school, RPs, and more personal things. I've been prodding this chapter for a week or so, but I've also been very busy with bass practice, so yeah. Whatever, it's here now. I decided to work on character development. As always, please read and review, but enjoyment is optional - after all, that's what opinions are for. I still don't own Zoids. Actually, that's untrue. I own several models, my favorite is my Liger Zero-X model with the lightning armor equipped. That thing is daaaamned sexy. But anyways, yeah. I don't own the franchise.

Chapter Three: A Day to Recall

"Barkeep… another drink, please."

The man eyed her warily before setting the already prepared drink in front of her. "Finish that one and then you're cut off; you're too young for all of this, girly." With that, he went about washing glasses, meticulously scrubbing with the fervor of a man plagued with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

With a sigh, Rose set about sipping at the drink - something about being denied another made her want this one to last. She needed the alcohol. She needed to drown the pain.

She needed to forget.

Flashes of hate, of bloodlust, of pure sadistic hunger flashed through her mind, bringing about a shudder - a shudder which didn't go unnoticed by the bartender. "…Kid, are you even old enough to be in here?" It amazed him that it had slipped his mind to ID the girl.

Rose picked her head up quickly, staring at the man - she'd thought that she had evaded that small stumbling block. Unable to bring her face into the hard mask that she normally wore due to five and a half mixed drinks in her system, she simply nodded - the straw never left her mouth through the movement, continuing to innocently transfer liquid from the cup to the mouth of an underage girl.

The barkeep watched her carefully, slowly raising a hand for her ID. "Out with it, girl. I want to see some identification, now." With an equally slow motion, the commander slowly reached inside her trench coat and pulled out a beige handbag. She set the drink down and undid the clasp, reaching inside and digging for a moment.

"Where… Ah, there it is," she said in mock relief, slipping a large bill into her hand. With a quick slap to the man's hand, Rose transferred the bill into his hand - without breaking motion, she scooped up her drink in the same hand and wheeled about, dashing to the door. There was a yell of complaint, though it quickly faded to a satisfied mumble as he realized just how much money he had just been handed.

"Come back anytime," the man yelled as the door closed behind her.

Rose just grinned.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you can't find her? Who the hell let our leader out without a guard!" To say that Alex was annoyed would be an understatement. After giving her ample time to rest, the major had gone to check on his commanding officer, looking to comfort her and make sure she was alright after the episode - so imagine his surprise when he found her private quarters completely empty.<p>

After that, he'd systematically checked everywhere she normally spent time: her brother's room, the exercise center, the firing range, the cafeteria, the hanger, he'd even checked all of the restrooms; Rather, he'd gotten female officers to check the restrooms. With each false lead, another few members had joined the scavenger hunt for their leader.

And now…

"We've searched the entire Whale King, sir… we can't find her anywhere. But-"

"So that's it, then?" Cross was fuming with rage. "You're just giving up? You don't have any _clue_ where she might be? Any idea at all?" Anger was driving the man blind to his rudeness. They'd let his commander go, though - _their_ commander! Rosalie Arrington was a leader to all of them, and a damned good one too. So how could they just stand there when she went missing? How could it be that they weren't going insane with worry?

"Sir… that's what was trying to tell you. One of the hover-bikes is missing. We think she took it and drove to a nearby town called 'Urals'."

So that was the story, eh? She'd just bailed? Well that was something else entirely. While Alex was still angry, his anger was now directed at the very person he'd been worried about moments ago - didn't she know that she had responsibilities? "Right… sorry, ensign. I'm taking one of the bikes to go find her. I'll drag her back here kicking and screaming if I have to. You have my word."

The soldier just nodded and watched as his commanding officer ran across the hanger to the bike rack. He mounted one of the bikes and kick started it, cranking the throttle and throwing himself out of one of the deployment gates that lacked a launch rail. "Hurry back, Major…"

* * *

><p>Her footsteps quickened dramatically as she rounded the corner.<p>

How exactly had this happened? She'd thought that she was being careful by never using her name, her hair covering most of her face - hair that had been dyed brown for this excursion with temporary color - to the point that only one of her eyes was visible. Her eyes were adorned with colored contacts to keep them from giving her away. Her clothing was large to keep from exposing her frame.

"So how in God's green earth did they find me?" Rose cursed under her breath as her power walk turned into a full blown sprint through the mostly empty streets - the pair behind her finally seemed to give up attempting to shadow her in favor of chasing her down. After dodging around a small child and vaulting a very perturbed man on a hover-board, the girl hung a sharp right and dashed down an alley.

The men were gaining on her, their long legs giving them the advantage in this chase. If they kept this pace up, she would be caught in a matter of a minute or so. Then something occurred to her. "Wait, why am I even running?"

With several blinks, Rosalie Arrington skidded to a stop and spun around to face her - now very confused - would-be attackers. A wicked grin spread across her pink lips and she quickly reached up to discard her bulky coat; it would only serve to hinder her movements. The grin grew wider as her hands moved to a combat ready position before curling in a taunt. "Bring it on, boys."

There was no movement for several seconds as the pair of men looked to each other in confusion, which gave Rose a chance to take them in. They were tall, just over six feet each, and were lean. They were wearing suits, something similar to funeral attire, with odd looking combat vests over them. This would be… interesting.

One of the man reached to his radio to mutter into it while the other charged, punch extending. _Too easy, _she mused to herself as she grasped his wrist and began to twist the corkscrewed punch even further, sidestepping into safety. Her free hand coiled above her head and she jerked forward to pull him off balance and keep his arm stretched into the perfect target.

The man let out a scream of pain as her forearm crashed through his stressed elbow joint, ruining the joint. A swift kick to the man's groin later and Rose gave him a shove, pushing his unconscious body to the ground - he had passed out in his own vomit from the pain. "Scary looking, but not very good at backing it up, 'eh?" Her gaze moved to the remaining man, drinking in the stunned expression on his face. He growled into his radio again and charged, his hand moving to pull a knife from its sheath on his hip.

Rosalie's face twisted into shock and fright as he charged and shoved it forward in an amateurish stab. "Oh wait." Her face twisted into a grin and she quickly grasped the man's wrist. With a twist, she spun behind him and brought his own knife into his side with it still in his hand. "I've taken self defense since I was four," she recalled as the man slid to the ground, gasping in pain. "Don't take out the knife, it'll just make you bleed out faster."

With a giggle of delight at the two very much incapacitated men, Rose moved to head out of the alley, only to realize her mistake - there were men in similar coats jogging in from both directions, at least a dozen. "…Oh, shit."

The first of them charged a pair from each side rushing in to make the takedown. She'd been trained to fight groups, but four grown men at once were too much for even her. Without hesitation, her hands moved to her right hip only to grasp for air - the image of a pair of revolvers laying on her bedside table flashed to her head. She was without a doubt in over her head.

"Up here, assholes."

Gunshots rang out and the four men dropped - everyone turned and looked up to the man who had spoken. Despite the fact that the sun was to his back, casting a haunting silhouette, Rosalie still recognized her subordinate. "Alex!"

With a grin, Alexander Cross leapt lightly from the building and landed with a thud next to his commanding officer - he produced two .357 eight shot revolvers with inlaid pearl grips from his pocket. With a matching grin, Rose took the pair of revolvers, her thumbs snapping back the hammers. They were double action revolvers, sure, but the message was still clear. "Leave now or die."

There was a moment of silence before one of the men burst into laughter. With a sigh, Rosalie adjusted her aim slightly and proceeded to send a round into the man's kneecap, replacing his laughter with screams of pain. Everyone seemed to hold their breath. "Anyone else think that was funny?"

No one moved for a breath.

And that's when the laughter burst forth from the rest of them, filling the air with the sickening mirth of the insane, growing to the climax. Confused, Rosalie was very much surprised when Alex suddenly lifted her in his arms and jumped - jumped all the way to the top of a two story building. As they landed, he threw himself over her, shielding her as the explosions began.

The noise was deafening, threatening to blow out her eardrums even after her hands had clapped over her ears. After what seemed like an eternity, the explosions ceased, only to be replaced by the sickening sound of flesh, blood, organs, bones, and other remains turning into a rain and splattering against the rooftop around them. Not knowing when they had been pinched shut, Rose slowly opened her eyes. His eyes were open as well, staring into her own with a look of concern and terror - his short blonde hair was red with blood. Slowly, the rain stopped and a single drop of the red substance fell from his nose onto her forehead.

Opening her mouth to speak, she found herself without words - she had too many questions to narrow it down in her current state of mind. Instead, Alex spoke for her. "Cybernetics derived from project Diablo. I knew that you would disapprove so it was kept under wraps; that's not important. Are you alright, ma'am?" Still unable to speak, she simply nodded. "Good, now please forgive me for this…"

Rose gave him an inquisitive look as he seemed suddenly angered.

"Have you lost your mind! You're the commander of everything that your father left behind! You can't just go about leaving to go wherever you please, whenever you please without telling us! Do you even know how long we've been looking for you - how worried I've been? If I hadn't shown up when I did, God only knows what would've happened to you! I swear, you can be so _stupid_ sometimes!"

Rosalie Arrington blinked several times, taken aback by his sudden outburst. His chest heaved a few times as he sought to reclaim his breath, and finally a few tears welled in his eyes. "Don't you _dare_ worry me like that, ever again."

His strong arms suddenly wrapped around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Slowly, Rose returned the hug and buried her face in his muscled chest. "I… I won't."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, sir; all we have left is the honeymoon suite."<p>

A sudden heat flashed over Alexander's face as his cheeks brightened into a pink tint. "That… are you sure there's _nothing_ else?" The receptionist simply shook her head. "I don't know about…"

"-We'll take it!" Rosalie was suddenly clinging to her subordinate's arm, hand on his chest. "Won't we, honey?" He gave her a shocked look, his throat catching while his face flashed brighter red. The girl generously took the key and nodded her thanks. "Come one, Alex we've got things to do." And with that, she grabbed his hand and led him up the stairs to their room.

"Y-… You're evil, you know that," he grumbled as she pushed the door open with a giggle.

The room was something straight out of a pimp's dream world - pink fur covered the walls, the ceiling, the floor, even the large heart shaped bed that the room was centered around; the rest of the furniture was equally heart shaped and padded. The lighting in the room was very… dim, casting shadows in what could be called "mood lighting".

Rose was pretty sure she could see smoke coming from Alex's head as he took in their temporary living arrangements, earning another giggle from the girl.

After getting off of the roof and buying clothes to change into, they had gone out for drinks. It had been nice to unwind and forget about the day. Then when he said they had to go back… the girl had turned to begging. She just wanted _one_ night away from the stress, one night of peace. So finally he had given in, calling in to let them know about their status. They weren't happy about the wait, but what could they do?

"You uh… you want the first shower?" Rosalie was about to say yes when she took in his matted hair and bloody skin.

"No… you need it more."

He hesitated. "Ma'am, are you sure?"

She rolled her eyes. "Go get sudsy, Major. That's an order." He nodded and grabbed his bag of new clothes before heading into the small restroom that the room offered. She heard him mutter something about a hot tub before the door closed, causing another giggle.

After a bit of hesitation, Rose plopped down onto the large bed, groaning at the way that she sank into the bedding; it was sinfully comfortable. Very slowly, her eyes began to droop. She didn't realize it, but after a few moments, Rosalie dipped in unconsciousness.

After only fifteen minutes or so, her eyes fluttered open to a view that was… heavenly. Facing away from her was Alex; he was shirtless, his bronze skin rippling with every movement that he made as he slowly slipped a white cotton shirt over his torso. His legs were covered in black denim and his hair was messy in a way that complemented his overall attractiveness.

Slowly, he turned and froze as he met her scrutinizing gaze. "You um… How long have you been awake?" The grin that he received in response was enough to tell him that she had seen him without his shirt. There was a short pause while he took a seat in one of the padded chairs behind him. "The shower's open whenever you want it."

After a moment's consideration, Rose nodded and rose to her feet, grabbing her clothes before heading to the small bathroom. The shower was in the corner of the room, just across from the hot tub. "So that's what he meant…" She muttered several things under her breath before slipping out of her bloody clothes and into the shower, twisting the knobs for the water. As the hot water washed over her bare skin, Rose thought she might lose the strength in her legs; after such a long, stressful day, this was exactly what she needed.

After washing out her hair and the brown coloring that stained it and cleaning her skin, the commander stayed in there for several extra minutes, just soaking in the relaxing feeling. Finally, though, she got out - because she ran out of hot water, of course - and got dressed, slipping into a pair of silk pajamas and a large cotton top.

With a yawn and a stretch, Rosa stepped out of the steam filled bathroom and into the main room, attracting an amusing stare from Alex. "Something on my shirt?" she asked with a grin. Alex quickly shook his head and attempted to hide his embarrassment. "That's what I thought." She walked over and plopped down on the bed again, grinning when he didn't move. "Come on, Major, it's a big bed. You don't want me to be lonely, do you?"

Yet again, heat flashed across his face as Alex hung his head. Finally he moved to the bed, awkwardly sitting on the edge of it with his back facing her. Rose frowned. "Come here, damnit." With strength that still managed to surprise him, Alex found himself jerked onto his back on the bed.

In a split-second, Rosalie was ontop of him, crushing her lips against his. Alex blinked, confused. What the hell was going on with his captain? Was it because of the trauma from being merged with the Night Empress? Was it from the close call this afternoon? Was it because of the alcohol that he tasted on her lips? Or was it because she held genuine feelings for him? It was difficult to see her as anything other than his junior by six years, his captain, his best friend's little sister. This situation, the closeness, the intimacy… it was too much for him. With a grunt of willpower, he pushed Rose back gently, earning a groan and a frown.

"What are you doing, Alex?" She leaned down to kiss him again but he put his hands against her shoulders to keep her at bay. "Alex," she whimpered out his name and it nearly broke the loose grasp that he had on his control.

"Commander, you're drunk."

She grinned at that, her hands taking his wrists and gently moving them out of the way. "And you're complaining." She kissed him again; he pushed her away again. Rose growled angrily. "Major, I wanted this to be sweet, but I'll order you to lie down and take it if you don't stop pushing me away."

Alex froze, seeming to contemplate his options. After a few moments something seemed to click inside of his head and he pushed upwards into a hard kiss, hands cupping her face. Her hands explored his chest while their lips meshed together. Alex's tongue tipped out, tasting, exploring, earning a whimper from the girl above him.

She seemed to pull herself together then, her hands balling into fists in the fabric of his shirt. With a yank, there was a satisfying rip of cotton as his chest came to bare - literally. After a few minutes, the pair broke for a breath.

Rose nibbled at his jaw, but Alex was wasting no time. He pinned one of her legs and bucked with the opposite hip, flipping over atop of her. Giving a surprised gasp, Rosalie Hale stared up at him questioningly. He just gave her a shrug and then buried his lips back into hers.

A/N: So… yeah. Really. Freaking. Long. Chapter. Like I said, I worked on character development this chapter, and… yeah. Got carried away. BUT THERE ARE QUESTIONS: Who were those men, who did they work for, and what the hell's going on between Alex and Rose? To be answered next time… maaaaybe. Because let's be honest here… I have no freaking clue where I'm going with this.

ANYWAYS. Reviiiiiew and it won't take nearly this long for the next one to come out. I'll see ya' next time.


	5. Chapter Four: Responsibilities

A/N: Finally remembered that this existed. Expect more chapters out soon. And I still don't own the Zoids Franchise.

Chapter Four: Responsibilities

Slowly, groggily, the lights began to flicker into existence. Unfamiliar tastes and smells were evident in her mouth and nose, blurring her conscious mind and causing wonder as to what they were and where they'd come from. Her eyelids fluttered and then very slowly crept open, breath slowly returning from its slowed state.

Rose sat up slowly, blinking away the blinding lights and groaning at the nausea that rolled in like a wave from the ocean. She swayed slightly and braced herself on her palms. It took a few very long moments for the fuzzy, heart shaped bed spread and the soft lighting to make sense. Once it clicked, Rosalie Hale barely managed to suppress another groan.

Wanting to rub away the blur from her eyes, the girl lifted one hand - and then she blinked when it wouldn't reach, confused. Glancing down at the rebellious limb, the cause became apparent within an instant: it was handcuffed to the side of the bed, on a very conveniently placed rail. Not even wanting to look, Rose jerked on her other hand and discovered that, just as she'd feared, that hand was bound in a similar manner.

A light whimper rose from her throat as she bit her lip, tugging at both wrists. Then another wave of nausea rolled in and her eyes clamped themselves shut, refusing to allow in even a shimmer of light. Her shirt was clinging wetly to her chest, plastered there in a cold sweat. She could feel her breathing pick up its pace and she whimpered again, louder this time.

Then suddenly the pressure on one of her wrists was gone, a gentle vice suddenly guiding her hand to her lap. She fluttered her eyes open for a moment and then immediately regretted it as more surges of nausea crashed against her skull likes waves against a sandy beach. "Easy now," a soothing voice whispered, the gentle pressure again freeing her other wrist. She was suddenly cradled in strong arms, pulled tightly to a familiar, warm chest.

Rosalie didn't even open her eyes, reaching automatically for Alex's hand instead. He met hers and their fingers intertwined. She whispered his name and could almost _feel_ him smile in response. "Rough night, kiddo?" While she pouted at the word 'kiddo', Rose was glad to have somewhere safe to crawl to when she felt ill.

"I don't even remember coming back from the bar," she managed to mumble out before having to shut her mouth again, half-quieting another moan. Seeking more comfort, she tilted her head more directly against his strong chest. "How much did I drink?"

Alex reached a hand up and gently stroked her hair, pulling it away from her face. "Too much," he said, probably unsure exactly how much alcohol they'd shared. And speaking of things they'd shared...

Memories of the night before flooded her mind. Pushing away from his slightly, she found surprisingly little resistance. Rose tilted her head up and slowly forced her eyes open, willing away the rush of nausea. "What... What happened last night? Did we," she stopped there, letting the sentence end in the unspoken question, a light blush creeping into her cheeks.

Alex shook his head and planted his lips gently against her forehead. "Of course not. Orders or not, I wasn't going to let you make a decision like that so quickly, especially when you'd had enough to drink to put a liquor store in the black for a month." She paused then slowly relaxed against him, feeling relieved.

"Of course, now that you've sobered up, I'd be all for letting you decide to kiss me again."

Rose blinked, then looked up to see his familiar, crooked grin. She rolled her eyes and leaned up to press her lips gently against his. They stayed together for a few moments, then she pulled away. "I need a shower," she said pulling away slightly. After her attempt to stand failed, however, Alex was at her side yet again.

"Maybe a bath instead," he suggested, helping her to the bathroom slowly. After the circus act of preparing the bath and getting her seated on the toilet was over, he left the room with a wave, leaving Rose to slide her clothes off and shift very carefully into the bathwaters.

The warmth spread over her like a dimming fire, just hot enough to burn but not quite hot enough to hurt. After an eternity of relaxing away the effects of the alcohol, she slowly eased out of the water. Rose slipped into the clothes they'd set aside for her and walked - a bit more steadily - out of the bathroom. She found Alex asleep on the bed and smiled, sitting down next to him. She pulled his head onto her lap and stroked his hair slowly, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

* * *

><p>"We really have to go back, don't we?"<p>

The sadness in her voice was barely suppressed. Alex nodded slowly, kissing her cheek. "Everyone'll be waiting for you, especially your brother." Rose sighed quietly, pushing herself up and off of his chest. There was no point in spoiling herself further than she already had.

Rosalie stood and reached for his hand, pulling him off of the bed as well. "Tell them to meet us on the edge of town in ten minutes. We'll head straight that way."

Alexander Cross nodded and reached for the radio he'd discarded on the bedside desk, shaking his still wet hair to get it out of his eyes. "Dream World, this is Saint Cross. Requesting extraction for two at the north side of Urals, over."

There was a short pause before a static filled response chirped through the radio. "Copied in full, Saint Cross. Expect extraction forces there in ten minutes."

Alex hooked the radio on his belt and looked to his commander. "Ready?" Rose simply nodded, tucking her revolvers into her waist. She threw on the new trench coat to cover them, then they departed, leaving behind there trashed clothes; no one would be able to find them after they made it back to the Greater King anyways.

* * *

><p>Rosalie Hale stood, heal tapping impatiently as the air-locks hissed, slowly opening to the inside of the massive transport. She walked inside, Alexander Cross two steps behind her and the two guards that had accompanied them during their return to the base two steps behind him, respectively. Rose looked around the room, catching the gaze of a few people who seemed more interested in the return of their commander than their respective jobs.<p>

She sighed, shaking her head. She was only gone for one night, they didn't have to act like they'd given up hope on her. She was just about to shout for them to get back to work when a female scientist sprinted up to her, out of breath. "Lady... Arrington," she said between breaths. Rose clapped a hand on her shoulder, looking at her confusedly.

"Calm down, catch your breath. What's wrong?" After a few moments, the woman slowly straightened up and saluted her superior.

"The box. We've just input the correct code, it seems, and it's opening. Please, come quick-" before she could even finish, Rose was dashing away. She blinked, looking up at the Sergeant. "Is she okay?" Alex just shrugged, then hurried away after her. He rounded the corner, catching a glimpse of her as she threw open the door to the research room that housed the mysterious black box.

Finally catching up to her, he pushed inside the room. One side of the box was slowly moving, shifting at a glacial speed. Rose turned to him, pulling free her revolvers. "Be ready," she warned, and he drew his personal side arm, a night black .50 caliber handgun. Slowly, the cube continued to creep open, then after about a one foot gap had opened, the entire side fell open, collapsing to the ground with a reverberating thud.

The two both readied their firearms; for a long moment, nothing moved. Rose crept slowly around the edge of the cube, peering inside. It was dark, but the lights of the room cast just enough light to outline a massive shape stirring inside. Rose growled, taking a step back and lifting both revolvers. "Identify yourself!"

A moment of silence passed, then a screech of metal on metal filled the room as the shape moved, pushing slowly free of the box the bound it. Outside, the organoid opened its wings, stretching them to fill the room. It shook slowly, stretching out the kinks that had formed while it slumbered. The massive black metal dragon looked down at Rosalie Hale. It seemed amused with her, expecting perhaps fear from the humans who woke the ancient beast, but she showed no fear. Rose stared the creature in its obsidian eyes, unflinching.

It reared its long neck back, letting out a loud screech. She still didn't move, standing her ground. Finally the beast returned its attention to her as she spoke to it. "Are you going to cooperate?"

There was a moment of stillness, then a sneer crept across the dragon's metallic lips, revealing a maw full of poison-green fangs. "Of course," it responded in voice like a thousand church bells, deep and booming. "I am known as Neban, but you may call me... Chaos."

Alex crept slowly closer to his commander, firearm still pointed at the beast despite the fact that hers had been returned to her waist. Before he could speak, Rose stepped closer, laying her palm on the great dragon's jaw. "I am Rosalie Hale, your new master."

The beast repeated her name, then dropped to a single knee, bowing to her and bringing a grin to her face; this was just one more step towards her goal.

A/ N: Shorter than most of them, but hey. It's progress. I've got a plan for once, and I know where I'm going with this. Expect more frequent updates. Comments/Reviews/Questions would be appreciated. Sorry for the long wait.


End file.
